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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · racket · toast · craft · pit · lash · mine · sharp

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. toast — bread
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pit — in a race
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. sharp — clever
  11. craft — a skill
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. craft — boats
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com